Friday, March 23, 2012

Forsythia, also called Golden Bells, are ornamental shrubs that are members of the Olive family. Forsythia are native to eastern Asia and southeastern Europe. There are about 11 species but most common garden varieties are hybrids of Forsythia suspensa and Forsythia vridissima, otherwise known as Forsythia intermedia.Common varieties grow 6′ to 8′ tall and wide but are often kept shorter and formed into a shaped hedge. They are sometimes planted singly where their arching branches form fountain-like growths spilling into the yard.

Forsythia are most often planted for their spectacular dense rows of yellow spring flowers that form while most other plants are still dormant (photo).

Providing a colorful reminder that spring is near and brightening an otherwise drab day. Flowers form prior to leaf out. Leaf color is dark green for the remainder of the growth season. Fall leaf color is yellow.

Forsythia are best grown in full sun to light shade. They require regular water during establishment. Flowers form on prior year’s growth. So prune Forsythia annually just after flowering to promote branching and allow sufficient time for new growth for next spring’s floral display. Forsythia are hardy to USDA Zone 4.

Forsythia make a wonderful addition to your landscape and make a colorful statement whether planted singly or as a hedge.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Make the healthy choice to improve your soils health whether it’s your lawn, garden, orchard, or pasture. Earth Magic and Protein Crumblies(photo) are products that can take your property on the 'Journey to Better Soil Health'.

Earth Magic(also known ad TerraPro) is a unique concentrated humus product that contains a broad spectrum of beneficial mycorrhizae fungi and soil enzymes along with a high percentage of Humic Acids (photo).

Humic Acids have unique biological and chemical characteristics that will provide exceptional benefits to any soil. The objective of this product is to fortify the soil with the best humic acid product possible at the highest concentration possible because they are powerful biologics that can jump start the life of your soil. Humic Acids help soils retain water and plant essential mineral nutrients. Humic Acids can also help provide structure that is essential for drainage in heavy soils. Humic Acid effects on the soil are permanent as they are products of soil chemistry and not the decomposition of organic matter.

The science is clear that most plants and most landscapes including desert plants need a significant level of humic acids in the soil as it’s this substance that defines a top soil. Top soil is a horizon of soil that is rich in Humic Substances and according to research “Humic Acids are essential for a healthy and productive soil” – Journal of Chemical Education, December 2001, Soils Sustain Life!

In addition, Earth Magichas a full blend of both Endo type and Ecto type mycorrhizal spores. Mycorrhizae are beneficial soil fungi that form associations with plant roots. They become extensions of those roots and help plants explore soil for water and nutrients. Research has also proven that mycorrhizal products can make landscapes dramatically more drought tolerant and the plants healthier. Mycorrhizae help your landscape plants endure the stresses of the environment such as heat, drought, dehydration, and poor soils and they are also critical and essential for the long term soil building process to occur.

Almost without exception both Humus and Mycorrhizae are either missing or are weak in most manmade landscapes including farms. Together they are excellent partners in helping to restore soil productivity.

This product has been selected for the best ratios of amino acids that can provide the highest protein efficiency value possible. Beneficial Soil Microorganisms are part of the ‘Soil Food Web’ and Protein Crumbliescan provide these microorganisms a high quality protein with the highest percent nitrogen per unit of protein. This product has a crude protein content providing a source of slow release organic nitrogen. The nitrogen can become part of the Soil Food Web once totally liberated by the action of the primary, secondary, and tertiary decomposers (soil microorganisms), and many plants can uptake the amino acids derived from this protein as part of their nitrogen budget. Protein Crumbliescan be used as a source of slow release nitrogen for plants.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree and is considered the ancestor of all redwoods (photo).

Dawn Redwood is one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. The other two redwood species are the California Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum). It is native to China where it grows to 200 feet or more in height. It is considered a living fossil because it was thought extinct until its discovery in China in 1944. In 1948, the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States sent an expedition to collect seeds and, soon after, seedling trees were distributed to various universities and arboreta worldwide for growth trials. The Arboretum Tomein Los Lunas, New Mexico maintains 33 different seed lines or representatives of the Dawn Redwood on its grounds.

Dawn redwood is often confused with the Texas Redwood or Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum). One easy way to differentiate between the two is that the needles or leaflets on Dawn Redwood are opposite (photo), meaning directly across from each other, while on the Texas Redwood and the Native New Mexico Redwood (Taxodium mucronatum (neomexicana)) the needles are alternate (staggered).

If water is not limiting, the Dawn Redwood can grow 4′ per year ultimately reaching 60′ – 70’ tall and 25′ – 30′wide. Prior to leaf drop each autumn, leaf color changes to an intense orangish-red or burnt orange color. Growth form is pyramidal. It is not a drought tolerant tree and does best with regular water. It is hardy to USDA Zone 4. Trees That Please Nursery has the Dawn Redwoods available in both 5 and 15 gallon container sizes.